Finders Keepers
by mishy-mo
Summary: All In with a twist. Cuddy leaves the table early resulting in Cameron and House playing in a head to head. Who will win? What game are they going to play next? How will House get his case epiphany? House/Cameron. Rated M for sexual scenes. One shot.


A/N: Been working on this one for a while and suddenly finished it yesterday. Hope y'all like it.

* * *

A smirk settled on House's face as he counted and stacked Cuddy's chips with his own. Really, he was doing her a favour. Her bosoms were never going to distract him enough to lose the game, they were best to put to good use working the room and raising money for the oncology department.

'You know, I'm sure there is a song about never counting your money at the table.' she said picking up her drink and leaving.

'I know, I'm not. I'm counting chips.' House called after her.

Wilson rolled his eyes and cast a critical eye over his own meager stack as the dealer laid out the next hand.

With the biggest tower of chips on the table it didn't take long for House to bully almost all the other players out of their chips; soon it was just House, Wilson and one of the janitors who was fairing surprisingly well against his tactics with a pile just a little smaller than House's.

It didn't bother him too much, what was pissing him off though, was the lack of new blood coming to the table. He watched as people swapped cash for little discs of plastic but none of them were joining their table. Most likely, they were put off but his huge stack of chips but it wouldn't get much bigger unless someone dared to pull up one of the empty chairs.

'Raise $50.' He growled, pushing up the stakes another $40.

'Too rich for me.' Wilson said folding his cards, waving goodbye to another big blind.

The janitor turned his head and stared at House trying to figure him out.

'Sir.' the dealer said after two minutes had passed.

'No, no.' House said with a wave of his hand. 'Give him all the time he needs.'

'Oh yeah, don't mind me.' Wilson grumbled.

'Order a drink, then.' House said, keeping his eyes fixed on the custodian's.

Wilson sighed trying to flag down a waitress, but instead he got rather distracted by another woman. 'Whoa.' the oncologist exclaimed.

House pulled the cigar from between his teeth with more vigor than he intended leaving tiny fragments of the wrapping in his mouth, 'What is it now, Wilson?' he growled, reaching for his drink to swish away the debris in his mouth.

'Not sure you'd believe me if I told you.'

'What?'

'Just look.'

'Kinda busy, here.' House growled.

'Trust me, you do not want to miss this.'

Out of the corner of his eye House saw a flash of red.

The janitor broke eye contact first, curious about Wilson's rantings himself.

House followed his gaze, his eyes falling on the shapely behind of a brunette in a red dress.

'I thought blondes were your flavour of the month.' he mumbled to Wilson.

'I rather suspect she's here for you.' his friend replied with a grin.

'What?' House asked confused, his gaze still focused on that glorious backside.

But it was in that instant that the brunette slowly turned, revealing the sight of one Allison Cameron done up to the nines in a figure hugging sinfully red dress.

'Hooaah...' the strange sound shivered past his lips, eyes agog and jaw almost resting on the poker table.

A bolt of lightning seemed to shoot through him as her eyes met his, he watched entranced as an enigmatic smile spread across her lips.

'Call.' The janitor said putting his chips in the pot, bringing the attention of the other men at the table back to the poker game.

'Uh, yeah, sure.' House said staring at the cards on the table, suddenly unable to recall what his hole cards were, what hand he had or hoped for, or the odds in his favour or against him.

The janitor smirked.

House growled softly, knowing there was no way back from this hand, less than a minute later he was proven right as his rival gathered and stacked his winnings. He flipped open the cap of his Vicodin and popped a pill, chasing it with the last of the scotch in his glass as the dealer started one of his routine shuffles.

* * *

'Drowning your sorrows already?' sounded Cameron's voice sounded from behind him, sending shivers down his spine.

'I'm still ahead.' he responded, turning his head slightly catching sight of her as she walked behind the janitor. He continued to watch as she made her way round to the seat Cuddy had previously occupied; a purse under her arm, a drink in one hand and a reasonable stack of freshly acquired chips in the other.

'But for how long?' she teased with a confident grin. 'May I join you?'

'Oh yes.' responded the janitor. 'You're my good luck charm, honey.'

House noticed her eyes narrow in the custodian's direction.

'You think so?' she replied in a soft yet challenging tone.

'I think you should join us.' Wilson said with a smile.

'That's two out of three.' she said squaring her gaze with House.

'I would be happy to take your money from you, Cameron.'

She smirked as took her seat. 'I didn't think you were capable of experiencing happiness.'

Wilson snickered into his glass.

'Just because I've never been happy around you doesn't mean I can't find some happiness in taking your money.'

'Funny, I thought the closest you got to being happy was by giving money to women, not taking it from them.'

Wilson snorted mid-sip, sending bourbon and coke streaming from his nose and down his shirt.

House glared at Wilson, before returning his gaze to Cameron as the dealer started passing out cards.

'Pleasure, Cameron, is something completely different.'

'Only you would separate the two.' she mumbled, putting in the big blind. She raised her voice and her eyes back to his, a wide grin spreading across her lips. 'And it'll be my pleasure to take your money.'

House scoffed and took a peek at his hole cards, if he kept getting crap like this then that's exactly what would happen.

* * *

'All in.' House said 20 minutes later after she'd appropriated nearly half of his and the janitor's chips. Somehow, Wilson had escaped her wrath, even picking up a few hands here and there but nothing that really allowed him any clout at the table.

Both Wilson and the Janitor had declared themselves to be out in the action that followed the turn. The river came down, king of clubs, giving House the flush he'd been waiting for. In his desperation to claw back some of his chips, he didn't even look up at her before pushing in all his chips.

'Are you sure about that, House?' she said with a soft smile and an edge to her voice that made him frown.

He stared down at the five cards on the table wondering what she could have that would beat a flush, a glance in her direction seemed to confirm his worst fears.

She pushed enough chips into the center of the table to cover his raise and flipped her cards revealing two kings. Turns out she was waiting for that last card too. A full house, kings over eights.

His right hand twisted into a fist and pounded the table sending chips scattering everywhere.

'Shit.' he muttered under his breath, immediately reaching for his wallet.

'Sir, you can't buy back in at the table.' the dealer said as he drew the cards together.

'I've got a cane.'

'Sir, I don't have any chips to sell you.'

'You can buy some of mine.' Cameron pipped up with a grin.

'Ma'am...' the dealer started but stopped when she held up her hand to silence him.

'How much more do you want to lose?' she asked House, her gaze focused on him.

House was seething as he fished five $50 bills from his wallet and set them on the table.

'I really can't...'

'Scott, is it?' Cameron said softly, leaning forward giving the kid an eyeful down the front of her dress.

'Uh, yeah?' the dealer stammered.

'I'm going to give you $250 worth of chips which you're going to pass to Dr House over there. He's going to give you 5 bills. Then you're going to give me 4 of those bills. What happens to the last one is up to you.'

The dealer glanced around before nodding and carrying out her orders, keeping a fifty for himself.

House had to admit he was intrigued, this woman at the card table looked like Cameron but she was an entirely different creature to the one that normally inhabited the diagnostics department.

He felt his eyes bulge as she folded his money twice and tucked the bills in her the top of her dress against her left breast.

A cough escaped him before he remarked, 'If you stuff your bra shouldn't you have a more impressive rack?'

'Who said I was wearing a bra?' she shot back without a beat.

He gulped, his collar suddenly feeling tight and a blush creeping up his neck at the thought of what else she may not be wearing under that dress.

'Seriously, why the hell can't you two just sleep together and get it over with already?' Wilson whined.

'Like all women, Dr Wilson, I enjoy a lot of foreplay.' Cameron responded adjusting her dress slightly. 'Thought you'd know that, having been married three times... or maybe that's the reason why.'

This time it was House snickering into his glass.

* * *

Less than 15 minutes later the janitor and Wilson had been drained dry just leaving Cameron and himself.

They played four hands each winning two, then Cameron spoke up as the dealer handed out the cards for the fifth hand of their head to head.

'Would you agree that I got this far on skill?' she asked.

'That and that dress.'

She smiled knowingly, 'That's a skill too. I always find this part of a game terribly boring and dull, the odds of a good hand coming up are awful and there's just no fun in it.'

'Going to withdraw?'

'I have another idea.' she said with a smile. 'I'm going all in on every hand now without looking at my cards, care to join me?'

He frowned and did a quick calculation as he glanced between their stacks. 'There's nearly a two thousand dollars on this table.'

'I know.'

'You've got over 14 hundred in your stack.'

'I know.'

'You're going to risk everything on luck?'

'I already got what I wanted from the table.' she said with a small shrug.

'My money?'

She grinned. 'Something like that. Are you game?'

He looked down at his pile of chips just shy of $600, to pull enough chips back from her to win could take hours with the way she was playing. If he believed in luck, he would have said it was in her favour so far, but chance didn't take sides.

'I'm in.' he agreed.

Together they pushed all their chips into the center and flipped their cards, eyes never straying from the gaze of the other.

'Gentleman wins, pair of tens.'

'Keep going.' Cameron instructed.

In the periphery they both saw him nod as he shifted chips around, gathered the cards and dealt again, this time dealing face up.

'Madam wins, ace high.'

The dealer moved the chips and started again, both of them noticed a hiccup, a pause in his movements as he dealt the hole cards. Despite the temptation to look, their gaze remained locked on each other. A few seconds passed as the community cards were laid on the table.

'Madam wins, triple threes. Congratulations.'

House sighed, watching a soft smile spread over her lips as the dealer racked up her winnings.

'Enjoy spending that.' he growled standing up and emptying his glass. Cameron mirrored his movements on the other side of the table.

'Oh no, I said it would be a pleasure taking your money not spending it. I'm donating this.' she said as she walked off into the crowd.

His eyes widened and he darted after her, 'Hey!' he called.

She turned to face him.

'Yes?'

'There's two thousand dollars there!'

'Yes.'

'You're really just going to give it away?'

'Yeah, I nearly broke even with your money and I had fun.'

'And that's all you wanted from tonight?'

She smirked. 'Of course not.' she said cryptically.

He tried to figure out what she meant by that but she had been impossible to read at the poker table, and little had changed in the past thirty seconds.

'Buy me a drink. You cleaned me out.' he ordered.

'I'll tell you what, House.' she said moving closer.

Her lips were millimeters from his ear, so close that her skin brushed his stubble but not his cheek, so close that he didn't dare breathe in case it drew her nearer.

'You can have your money back if you can find it.' she whispered in his ear.

'What... what's that supposed to mean?

'Meet me in exam room three of the clinic in five minutes.'

She drew back, a sultry grin on her lips as she walked away, hips swaying, leaving him in the middle of the dance floor completely intrigued and left his insides squirming with a feeling that was all too familiar. He swayed forward, pulled by her, luckily his left leg shifted forward automatically to stop him from falling flat on his face.

Damn! Damn that woman.

* * *

House paced back and forward trying to figure out what the hell he was going to do.

'Hey.' Wilson said approaching him with a fresh drink. 'Who won?'

'She did.'

'Really? Ha, where is she? I want to congratulate her.'

'How should I know?!' House snarked back.

'Seriously, House, it's clear from that dress and that display at the table that she's here for you. And I know you're still interested in her.'

'I am not!'

'Uh huh.' he replied unconvinced. 'I saw the way you looked at her tonight, it's obvious you're attracted to her.'

'I hired her because she was beautiful, remember?'

'And the way you snapped your head round when I said I'd be interested in making a pass at her?'

House glared. 'You surprised me. And that was a year ago.'

'I surprised you?' Wilson laughed heartily. 'Says the man constantly accusing me of adultery. And you're right, that was a year ago. Since then you took her on a horrific date, ignored her whilst you hounded your married ex for a one-night stand and not forgetting yelling at and belittling her on an almost daily basis. And do you know what? She still likes you, she's still trying to get your attention.'

'Pathetic, isn't it?'

'More like strong willed, which is exactly the kind of quality a woman needs in order to put up with you and your crap! You are attracted to her, she knows it too, that's why she keeps trying to get your attention.' Wilson sighed out his frustrations with his friend before stepping closer, wanting House to really hear what he was saying. 'But tonight was a big play. Maybe even a Hail Mary pass. Take a chance, House, while you still can.' He held out a glass of scotch to his friend, sincerely hoping he would take the opportunity that was right in front of him.

House took the glass and drained it, staring briefly at the patterns cut in the bottom of the glass. What if he was right? Wilson was certainly right about tonight being a big play and that was even without that last cryptic statement about finding his money and meeting her in the exam room. 'I gotta go.' House growled as he tossed the glass back to his friend.

'Find Cameron?' Wilson asked hopefully, he said catching the glass.

House just rolled his eyes and limped away.

Wilson scoffed and watched him head towards the clinic hoping he would get a clue sometime soon.

* * *

House gazed at the sign on the door that stated EXAM ROOM THREE and drew in a deep breath. He quickly glanced back to make sure no one was watching before heading inside and closing the door hastily. The only light that came in filtered through the blinds that covered the windows inside and out. Initially, everything was in shadow but even her silhouette was striking, sitting with legs crossed on the exam table.

He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.

His eyes adjusted slowly, either that or his imagination was filling in the blanks for him with a vision that was just stunning. She smiled at him, the expression was odd mix of surprise and expectation that was really quite endearing. House felt the urge to move closer to her but it was only then he realised that he was still holding onto the door.

The tips of his fingers slid up the wood and twisted the lock closed with an audible click.

'Do you mind telling me why exactly we're here in a darkened clinic room when there's a party going on out there?' he said making his way towards her.

'The only game they're playing out there is poker.' She set her purse aside at the edge of the table and leaned forward. 'This will be more fun, you can win more than just your money.'

'What? Like a sexual harrasment complaint?' He replied coming to a stop in front of her.

She smirked up at him. 'I'd rather hand out complements but that depends on your performance. So do you want to play?'

'What's the game?'

'Find your money and you can have it.'

'That simple?'

'I might need to be distracted for you to be able to access it.'

'So we're talking money in exchange for distractions... you know what that is, right? It's pr-'

'I prefer to think of it as extortion.'

'Yeah, cos that worked so well with our date.'

'I got you on a date, didn't I?'

'True, so what are you trying to get me to do now? Distract you then stick my hand down your dress for a few $50s? Should try some slight of hand? Close up magic? I haven't got any cards with me.' He could hear himself rambling, deflecting. He always did this when he felt vulnerable and from the look in her eyes she knew it too.

'Kiss me.' she said in a soft clear voice.

'What?'

'First base always comes before second.'

'Not always. There was this one time...'

Cameron reached forward and set her hands on his chest, she uncrossed her legs carefully before grabbing his lapels and drawing him closer. As he shuffled forward, between her knees, she slid her hands up over his shoulders and around his neck.

'Shut up and kiss me.' she whispered, her lips just millimeters from his.

He swallowed again, staring down at this feral creature that seemed to have taken over his immunologist. His heart felt like it was beating out his chest, her fingers taunted the hairs at the base of his skull somehow drawing him closer.

It would just be one kiss.

A kiss worth $200.

He set his cane on the edge of the table near her purse, sliding his arms tight around her body as he shuffled closer, his hips between her thighs and bodies pressed together.

Her breath grew short and quick, each one sounding like a the briefest of gasps followed by the most delightful of sighs.

The zip at the back of her dress was noiser than expected as his fingers deftly slid it down an inch or two.

She chucked softly and pressed her breasts harder against his chest, in a conscious move to keep his treasure out of reach.

'Not distraction enough I'm afraid.'

House groaned softly, she was utterly infuriating, so were the things she was doing to his body.

'Fine,' he growled and pressed his lips gently to hers.

The effect was instantaneous, it felt like every single hair on his body stood on end, every muscle tensed, every synapse fired and every nerve tingled with anticipation and excitement. He moved his lips softly over hers, tentatively drawing her lower lip between his. The slightest moan escaped her, and felt something snap inside him, like a dam giving way in a storm or a stallion charging through a fence to freedom. He covered his mouth with hers entire and pulled her tighter against him, as something base and carnal took over his body. She responded as if the same bolt of lighting struck her too, hands fisting in his hair as he devoured her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and delighting in the taste of each moan and sigh.

His hand spread firmly across her back, the teeth of dress zip digging into his skin, reminding him of the game she wanted to play. With a renewed sense of purpose, he moved his lips to her pulse, able to feel life itself flowing though her at an incredible pace as he worked his lips down her throat, lowering zip at the same time. The soft material peeled away from her body, bunching at her hips as something fluttered down onto the exam table. His eyes glanced over at the rectangular shape as his teeth pressed softly into her flesh where neck met shoulder, loathe to acknowledge it, to relinquish his current prize in exchange for $200 and end the game.

'I think you dropped something.' she purred, her lips brushing his ear.

Reluctantly, he moved one hand to pick up the small rectangular shape. A smirk spread across his lips as he lifted it, deftly sliding it between his fingers to reveal a single $50 bill.

'This is just $50.' he said as he slid it in his pocket.

'You didn't think I would make it that easy would you?' she teased then gasped as hands smoothed over her hips and his fingers teased her skin.

His eyes glimmered as he leaned back a little to look her in the eye, 'So where's the rest?'

'Within reach.'

'Where exactly?' he asked turning his hands against her skin, now drawing her rough knuckles up and down the sides of her torso.

'That's not the game.' she said with a shiver.

'Finders keepers, then?'

'Hmm,' she hummed affirmatively, 'Something like that. Wanna keep playing?'

She gazed at him, seemingly made more vulnerable by that simple question than sitting there bare naked from the waist up. The idea of stopping seemed beyond ludicrous.

'Taking back my money will be my pleasure.' he murmured echoing her words.

She giggled softly and took a breath as if she were about to speak but his mouth descended on hers before a single word could escape.

Despite knowing the aim of the game lay further south he couldn't ignore the tantalising treasures right in front of him; breasts so delightfully pert that might have said they were man-made but for their size. None the less they were warm and soft in his palms with a rosy pink nipple at the center that may as well be called an on switch given her reaction when he flicked them with his thumbs; a deep rasping gasp, a shudder that threw her pelvis closer to the edge of the table and thighs which had been so carefully still now clenched around him.

'Fuck.' he groaned sliding his right hand down to grab her knee, hoisting it up over his hip and leaning harder into her body.

'Arggh... are you okay?' she moaned, smoothing a hand across his cheek, continuing to exhibit Cameron levels of concern despite her current situation.

'More than okay.' he said turning his head to kiss and nibble her palm as his hand moved from her knee up her thigh, the sensations against his fingers suggesting a change from something sheer to lace. A centimeter or two more and they spread against silky smooth skin.

'Stockings?' House groaned, letting his fingers slowly work round until he located a fifty stashed on the outer most edge of her thigh, sliding it from the lace to his pocket.

She grinned knowingly and replied, 'Suspenders, actually.'

'Jesus,' he murmured, his assaulted by the image of her in a suspender belt, stockings, high heels and nothing else.

'You're doing really well at this game. Want a challenge for the next stage?'

'A compliment, are you trying to manipulate me?'

'Is it working?'

He narrowed his eyes shrewdly and asked, 'What's the challenge?'

She leaned in close to his ear once more this time taking the lobe very briefly between her teeth. 'You have to get the next fifty without using your hands.'

'No hands?'

'Locate it however you want, but you can't retrieve it with your hands. Up for the challenge?'

'Sounds intriguing.' he said moving his left hand to mirror his right. Watching every little reaction, every twitch and moan as his fingers explored the lace hem of the stockings. With each graze of his fingers, her eyes fluttered almost closed and her body sunk further away from him towards the table. As he finally located the next $50 bill in the hem of her stocking of her inner right thigh, he brushed his lips against hers and leaned forward, encouraging her to lie back on the table.

'Challenge accepted.' he murmured, straightening and taking a small step back. She was utterly beautiful, laid there like some sort of statue of a Greek goddess right down to the scrap of fabric draped across her her hips. Fabric that currently hid his hands and his treasure from view. He inched the hem higher and higher until the money was visible but his fingers seemed to have a mind of their own pushing further and further until they reached another expanse of lace confirming that she was wearing panties but also that they seemed to be of the scantest construction. Tendrils of her scent drifted up his nose like something out a cartoon and quickly squashed his initial thoughts of ducking down and grabbing the cash between his teeth.

Less than a second later, he pulled the stool underneath him and sat between her legs, her arms falling from his neck to her sides.

He actually couldn't remember the last time he'd been in this situation in a personal capacity. There was absolutely no chance he'd go down on a hooker and the last time he and Stacey hooked up she was more concerned with apologising to him rather than him getting the chance to show off so... it must have been before his leg before, nearly eight years. As he caught her eyes very briefly over the bunch of material at her waist he hoped he hadn't lost his touch.

Leaning forward he pressed his lips to the inside of her knee trailing feather light kisses towards those delicate panties. He stopped when he finally reached her bare skin drawing it into his mouth, savouring the subtle differences in taste with the other areas of her body he'd already sampled, already salivating at the thought of what he would taste next. Once he'd had his fill of one thigh, showering it with kisses and small hickey for good measure, he moved to the next to give it the same treatment. At some point through the course of this slow at torturous worship, he became aware of her ankles carefully pressed at his back pulling him closer, hands that were once by her sides now clawed at the fabric at her hips and the sounds she made, every quaking note sent shocks to his groin. It was all too much to resist.

She moaned and shook as he ran his tongue along the edge of her panties where they met her thigh, down one side, dragging briefly over the already soaking wet fabric and then up the other. He shifted a little closer, reached under her leg to spread his left hand against her belly to hold her still as he simply breathed her in as he sucked at his tongue savouing her. Small puffs of sensation must have made it through the delicate lace making her quiver, jolt and hum.

'Fuck!' she exclaimed loudly as his nose brushed the material.

'Dirty girl.' he grinned then he placed a gentle kiss where he estimated her clit should be.

'Oh God.' she moaned.

He continued to place kisses on her sex even as she tried to speak.

'I – fuck!- don't think I -Jesus!- 've ever been -oh yes!- so turn on -God!- in my life!'

'Haven't even got to the really fun stuff yet.' he replied drawing his index finger down the centre of her panties following the visible line of her sex.

She shuddered violently, her hips bucking involuntarily towards him and she ground out the word 'Greg.'

He smirked, 'That came far too easily, Allison.' she shuddered again when he murmured her name. 'Tell me, have you been practicing? Whispering my name in the darkness of the night with your hands between your legs wishing it was me?'

'Yes.'

His own breathing was quickly becoming as shaky as hers. He let his fingertips dance up and down her thigh finding control in the rhythm and trying to link it to his own breathing.

'How long?'

'Two months after I started working for you.'

A little earlier than he expected if he was honest so he asked, 'Why?'

'I... I like authority figures.'

'Not Cuddy?' he teased.

'I caught you looking at me. It looked like...'

'What?' his fingers paused to give them space, to give her a moment of mental clarity to help him understand what first attracted her to him.

'You looked like you wanted me, no... craved me... like if you gave in you'd be addicted... addictive and we'd fuck until we were both in a coma. It was exciting and exhilarating.'

He felt like he was on the cusp of hyperventilating, his brain somehow starved of oxygen and drowning in it all at the same time.

'Chase looks at you like that all the time.'

'No,' her voice sounded quiet and firm in the darkness above him, 'After we had that talk about sex, he looked at me like I could screw his brains out. He never once looked at me with anywhere close to the same intensity of desire and confidence that you have that you could screw mine out too.'

With a control and composure that surprised both of them he took the $50 bill between his teeth and drew it out of her stockings. He stood slowly and carefully then crawled up her body like a panther stalking it's prey. He spat out the note over her shoulder, not caring that it dropped to the floor and stared down at her.

'Exactly like that.' she said reaching up and out to him, slinking her hands around his neck.

'I don't want to break you.' he whispered.

'I'm already a broken. We both are. I don't mind breaking a little more if it means I fit with you. I wanted you before and I don't think I really knew why, but I know you more now, know myself more now too. So I choose this, choose you, Greg.'

Once again, in more ways than one she was laid bare beneath him, he saw her entire and was dawn in like a moth to a flame. He gave the slightest nod before lowering himself to her. Her body welcomed him, arms tight across his shoulders, her legs gripping his hips tightly and his erection pressed against her heated core. He kissed her slowly and deeply, feeling his whole body reacting intuitively to the rhythm of the kiss, hand gripping her thigh, fingers caressing her cheek as his hips thrust slow and hard against hers.

The rhythm escalated quickly and soon Cameron's body was quivering like a tuning fork and she whispered the words he'd desperately longed to hear in his ear. 'Fuck me. Please, Greg. Fuck me, now.'

He straightened to undo his belt, she sat up to reach for her purse but in the instant their fingers connected with those items someones fist connected with the door.

THUD, THUD, THUD.

'House!'

'You have got to be kidding me!' He yelled Cuddy through the door. 'Go away!'

'House, quit brooding and get the hell out here now!'

'No! I having a nap and you're shrill voice is ruining one heck of a dream!'

'Urgh, it's a case, House. I need you help right now.'

Cameron sighed and carefully slid from the table.

'It can wait, they're not going to die in the next hour, are they?'

'I don't know. He's six years old, House. He came in with bloody diarrhea and coordination problems, I thought it was just gastroenteritis and dehydration and put him on fluids but now...'

House opened the door and peered out, 'Now his kidney's are shutting down.' He reached out and plucked the file from her hands. 'I'll take the case. Head on back to the party and I'll be upstairs in 5.'

'You know what it is?'

'I have an idea but I'll need to do tests to be sure. It would be irresponsible to diagnose without seeing the patient first.'

'I'll send your team upstairs.'

'No, I'll get them. No doubt they'll all be trying to get in someones pants, gotta make sure to ruin their chances or else they won't be focused on the job and no one can do that like I can. You get back to the party and get those breasts of yours raising funds for the Oncology department.'

'Fine. Just get to work.' she said turning on her heel and sauntering out to the party.

House closed the door and rested his head against the door jam.

'Can you do my zip?' Cameron whispered over her shoulder.

He turned back towards her and slowly raised the zip, watching that glorious expanse of skin disappear. 'You know, what I said about...'

'Work first, sex later.' She said turning and holding out the third $50 bill. 'You find Chase and I'll get Foreman. I'll give you a three minute head start.'

He leaned in and gave her a soft lingering kiss as he took the money from her hand then disappeared through the door.

* * *

They had just one biopsy piece left and it was up to him to decide which test they should do. But it was impossible, every choice was as plausible and implausible as the last. He stood on the balcony and watched the sunrise, wondering if the kid would ever get to see another one. The door opened behind him.

'Hey.'

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Cameron standing there unsure how to approach him, the softness of her tone suggesting that this was more of a personal visit rather than a professional one.

'Hey.' he replied softly.

She stepped closer and leaned against the wall beside him, close but not touching.

'How are you doing?' sounded her soft voice.

'I'm tired and getting a headache. That's the standard go to for not wanting to have sex right?'

'I'll get you some water and an asprin.' she said with a roll of her eyes, disappearing back into the building and coming back out with her purse and a glass of water.

'I said I didn't want to have sex.' he said seeing the purse.

'There's asprin in here somewhere,' she said passing him the glass of water to hold.

Intrigued, he leaned over and watched her root through the small purse that seemed to contain everything, when something caught his eye.

'Is that mine?' he said pointing to a neatly folded $50.

Her blush responded faster than her words, 'Yeah.'

'Gonna put it back where it was later?'

'I thought you said you didn't want to have sex?' she challenged, which made him smile. 'Anyway, it doesn't need to go back anywhere. It was always in my purse.'

'What?'

'I wanted you to keep looking until you found what I really wanted you to look for.'

He got that look on his face, the one that suggested he had an epiphany.

'It was hiding in there all along.' he murmured. 'Let's go.'

* * *

'You know, relative to it size the barnacle has the largest penis of any animal.' he proclaimed steering conversation away from the completed case.

Wilson chucked and called. 'Speaking of, did you manage to see Cameron before this case kicked off?'

'In a manner of speaking.' he replied, recalling the darkened room where so much happened.

'Really? What happened?'

'A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.'

'You kissed her?!'

House just grinned and turned the river.

The elevator dinged and the subject of their conversation stepped out.

House smiled over at her and tipped his head indicating that she should join them.

'Hey, want me to take your money again?' she asked pulling up a seat next to him.

'You can if you like. You know I'll just take it off you again later.' House replied, leering towards her.

'I still have one of your 50's. How about we use it to get some breakfast? Waffles?'

'I'll buy you breakfast? What a line. I'm not that easy you know.' he replied teasingly.

'Oh I know you're anything but easy, if the past two years is anything to go by. But you are good value for just $200.'

'$150 plus breakfast, you mean. And we're not finished yet.'

'Breakfast first, sex later.'

'You drive a hard bargain but fine, waffles then back to my place. And if Wilson can pick his jaw up off the floor he can come too. Just for waffles though, I reckon you might want to head to a hotel rather than back to my place 'cos we are gonna be loud. I don't even think noise canceling headphones would do the trick.'

'I...ah...I'm gonna go get a hotel room now. Enjoy breakfast and um...'

'Sex?' House offered helpfully.

'Yeah. I'll give you a call later.' he said wandering out and leaving the pile of cash on the table.

'Looks like Wilson's paying for breakfast.' House said gathering the money.

'That means you can keep looking for your $50.' she said leaning close.

'I hope I never find it.' he replied with a grin then pressed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. 'Let's go, I've got a craving.'

* * *

A/N2: So what did you think? I would really like to know.


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